The Washington Post has announced a digital relaunch of its outside-opinion forum, previously branded as PostEverything and now known internally as Ripple. This initiative aims to feature a diverse array of opinion pieces from outside contributors, including writers from other newspapers, independent platforms such as Substack, and eventually nonprofessional authors. Notably, the relaunch introduces a controversial twist: some of the pieces will be edited using an artificial intelligence tool named Ember, designed to guide contributors through story structure, provide developmental feedback, and offer writing prompts. The intention is to broaden the platform’s reach and make it accessible beyond the newspaper´s paywall.
This artificial intelligence editing strategy has been met with widespread skepticism. Several prominent writers and potential partner publications have declined to participate, citing concerns over automation and editorial direction. For example, Jennifer Rubin, a former Post columnist who resigned citing owner Jeff Bezos’ interference, expressed disbelief when informed she’d been considered a possible contributor. Likewise, other outlets cited as potential partners, such as The Salt Lake Tribune and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, indicated no interest in participating. These responses, coupled with the public’s general wariness of artificial intelligence in journalism, cast doubt on the project’s reception and the evolving credibility of The Washington Post’s opinion section under Bezos’ ownership.
The ripple effect of artificial intelligence on journalism extends beyond The Washington Post. Both the Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer recently faced industry backlash and issued public apologies after inadvertently publishing artificially generated lists of nonexistent summer books in a syndicated supplement. Executives at the Sun-Times and Inquirer have since underscored commitments to transparency and responsible experimentation with artificial intelligence, seeking to balance innovation with journalistic integrity. Meanwhile, the use of artificial intelligence for newsroom efficiency—such as automating backend tasks or tracking local events—remains a contentious topic. As Business Insider plans significant layoffs while boosting artificial intelligence-generated content, industry observers warn that cutting editorial resources in favor of automation risks further alienating both journalists and audiences and exacerbating artificial intelligence’s reliability issues.
